Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to wireless and location based technologies. The present invention more specifically relates to communicating with players using a wireless system and zone based placement.
Description of the Related Art
Sideline or press box communication with players during a sporting event is known in the art. For example, the National Football League allows the quarterback and one defensive player from each team to have a radio installed in their helmet. This radio system facilitates sideline/press box communication with a player on the field who then relays plays or other information to their respective teammates. Such communication is currently limited to these two players on respective sides of the ball and in a one-to-one unicast fashion.
Rules notwithstanding, coaches cannot currently communicate with all or certain players on the field and affiliated with their team. For example, a secondary coach may wish to communicate a vulnerability in the line-up of wide receivers for the offense. In such an instance, broadcasting this information to every player—both offense and defense—on a publically available communication channel would allow the offense to recover from the vulnerability.
If the secondary coach were able to communicate only with the defense on a “defense only” communications channel, the linebacker corps is unlikely to be interested in the configuration of the secondary vis-à-vis the offense. In fact, this communication with the secondary may interfere with the linebackers otherwise attempting to address their own on the field needs with respect to the offense. Still further, there is the concern that an overzealous or obnoxious spectator could identify a particular radio frequency being used by a team and intercept or broadcast on the same.
There is a need in the art for improved wireless coach-to-player communications based on specific locales of players on the field.